Will You Let Me Go
by anxresi
Summary: It's the final day before Dipper And Mabel have to head back home from Gravity Falls. Dipper plans to spend it with his new girlfriend Pacifica at the lake... But then a certain someone shows up. And things get REALLY bad. And then, they get even worse. VERY dark content warning... THIS IS NOT A DRILL!
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE... THE DEAL THAT WENT AWRY

(After a few weeks rest I'm back... With new inspiration and a new story. BEWARE: This is BY FAR the darkest thing I've ever written on this site. Without further ado... On with the show!)

"Don't forget to put your seatbelt on" warned Pacifica Northwest, as Dipper Pines stepped into the expensive limo "and PLEASE don't eat anything in the car... I'll be enough trouble with my parents as it is if they discover this little charade, when they find any crumbs in the back."

Dipper grumbled a little, as he was so intent on studying the three journals he'd forgotten to have any breakfast that morning. He had in haste swiped a cookie from the jar on the way out, and was just about to have a nibble.

But, Pacifica was right... It was a big enough risk she was taking as it was, deciding to go out for a final drive with him the day before Dipper and his sister headed back to Piedmont, California. She had somehow escaped their vigilance today, and had bribed a chauffer to take her and her new boyfriend out for a scenic ride to the lake.

With all the chaos of the last few weeks, and considering their early mutual hatred, mainly over her bullying of Mabel, it was amazing how the two of them had come together. It was most probably a case of 'opposites attract', because for all their differences and constant bickering, they'd been pretty much inseparable since the whole Northwest ghost fiasco. Plus, they DID enjoy their little sass contests.

It was a lovely day... The sun was shining, the birds were singing... And Mabel was off somewhere with Grenda and Candy. Dipper had no idea where they were headed to, but considering his sister had taken a pair of binoculars with her, and mentioned something about 'spying on hot boys' he feared the worst. "I hope that men's changing room at the swimming pool is secure" he thought.

He did love his sibling, but he was starting to get a bit sick of her singing songs about him and Pacifica (or Paz, as she called the rich girl) in a tree, and taking covert photos of the couple whenever she visited the shack. He'd even caught a glimpse of her scrapbook the other day... And she'd already allocated fifty pages for his potential marriage, kids, etc. FIFTY PAGES. "The girl is insane." He mumbled at the time. But he wouldn't have her any other way. She truly was queen of glitter, sweaters... And shippers.

Regardless, it was nice to get away from her, and his relatives Stan and Stanley (who, after initial resentment, were now getting along like a house on fire) for a little while. A bit of fresh air, in lovely surroundings, with the girl who he was having his first real relationship with. He glanced over at her in the front passenger seat, with a cheesy look on his face. BAD move.

"Dipper, are you feeling alright? You're looking very weird" said Pacifica, with an eyebrow raised "At least" she added with a smirk "Even weirder than usual". The pre-teen immediately returned to staring out of the window... He should have remembered, the blonde heiress did not go in for all that corny nonsense. He would have to be smooth, sophisticated around her... And DEFINITELY no overcomplicated lists.

" Anyway, we're here now... Maybe some fresh air will clear your head" Pacifica announced as their ride came to a stop. Adjusting his cap and undoing his seatbelt, Dipper stepped outside, and noticed they were on top of a cliff overlooking the water, with marvellous views all around. While the younger Mystery Twin was admiring the scenery, Pacifica paid the driver the money he was promised, and told him to come back and pick them up that evening. And off he departed, to spend some nice 'quality time' at the local betting shop.

The Northwest girl turned her attention to Dipper, who was trying to see as far over the shore as he could. "DAMN, I wish I'd got to those binoculars before Mabel" he silently cursed "I bet you can spot things from miles away". Pacifica smiled at her boyfriends enthusiasm... But she was pretty stoked, too. She NEVER got to go out like this normally, it wouldn't have fit anywhere on her parents's heavily regimented schedule. There comes a time when you've had enough fancy dinners and gala premieres, and you just want to enjoy the simple things in life... And they didn't come much more simple than the nerd she'd inexplicably developed a fondness for.

She joined him about a metre from the edge of the cliff, and gave him a playful little nudge in the side. "What's the matter, have you seen another Gobblewonker?" she mockingly asked. Over the course of the last few weeks, Dipper had told her all about his odd summer, from the strange creatures they'd battled, the portals to other dimensions they'd opened and even let her take a peek at the journals he'd kept close to him like children. At first, she was a bit dismissive of all these strange claims, but when he got to the part about the Society Of The Blind Eye she realised the reason why she didn't recall witnessing any of this chicanery... Because all evidence was no doubt wiped from her memory banks. At that point, she was MUCH more open to the possibility of the unknown.

"N...no" came the rather strained response from Dipper. "I was just thinking... How far I'm going to be away from you soon. Hundreds of miles, by my calculations... And I probably won't be back until next summer at the earliest." Pacifica frowned at the thought. He WOULD have to put a dampener on things with his constant negativity.

"Look, I know it's going to be hard, but you've got your sister" (though, living with her would drive me crazy, the blonde thought). "And I'll try and call you via Skype if I have the chance, on a secure line of course". She was hinting at the fact that her parents ran their manor like a fortress... With cameras anywhere, and monitoring all of her incoming and outgoing calls. It was a minor miracle she'd managed to slip away undetected that day. Or, had she? Pacifica had no idea. If they were willing to let a mansion full of 'the most important people in the world' burn to death just to save face, she wouldn't put it past them to stick a tracking device under the skin of their daughter.

She banished such depressing thoughts from her head... She was begining to get as bad as Dipper when it came to being a downer. "Hey, cheer up'" she said with a touch more optimism "We've still got all day today... And, I got some of my servants to make us a picnic. Only the finest foods for our palate. Just wait right there... I'll go get the hamper." She blew him a kiss, before going back to the place where they'd been dropped off.

Dipper shook his head in exasparation. What was on the menu, he wondered... Smoked Salmon? Caviar Sandwiches? She REALLY didn't have to go to so much trouble. He would have been more than happy for his Grunkle to make him a packed lunch. But, if it made her happy to spoil him, then he guessed he could tolerate some rich people's cuisine for once. He just hoped it was better than the pretentious crap they served at the Northwest party. He wasn't sure, but he was up half the night afterwards with a nasty case of diarrhea. He stared out across the lake at a single yacht, trying to expunge his memory of that horrible, messy ordeal, munching on his cookie...

"Hello, Pine Tree!"

GAH! What was that? It sounded like Pacifica, but... it was like her voice was digitised. Dipper spun round to see his girlfriend... But, as he could tell instantly, it WASN'T his girlfriend. The manic grin... The yellow eyes... The fork sticking out of her arm... It had to be...

"BILL!" Dipper roared loudly, grinding his teeth like a mad man. He dropped his cookie.

"Actually, I kind of like the name Billciphica, but you can call me whatever you like... As long as I get what I want!" The possessed girl grinned at him through unblinking pupils.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" shouted Dipper.

"That's what I always like about you Pine Tree, always straight to the point!" Billciphica grabbed the fork embedded in their arm and twisted it, making Dipper wince.

"WHERE IS PACIFICA?!" Dipper was really getting agitated now.

"I don't know... Probably floating around here somewhere..." Billciphica said rather unsympathetically, before returning to the fork "Ah, that feels good. Pain is so funny, isn't it? I've missed this feeling!" Blood was starting to get all over Pacifica's nice, clean summer dress.

Dipper looked up to the sky, hoping he could spot something... But it was all in vain. He wasn't the kid from The Sixth Sense, and he had no way of contacting a ghost. Though it went against every instinct in his body right now, he would have to stay calm and play ball now with the Dorito Demon if he ever wanted to see his girlfriend again.

"Now, down to business" said Billciphica, licking their lips. "It's turns out Llama's father was very upset with her for her insubordination during the little shindig at the Northwest place the other week. In fact, stark raving mad might be a more accurate description. He gave her a final ultimatum: (And at this point, Billciphica did an amazing impression of Preston Northwest's booming voice) "Either you straighten up and fly right girl, or there will be SERIOUS consequences, consequences so dire I can't even begin to describe them to you."

"Now, at any other point in history this threat probably would have worked... But you HAD to give her courage and hope, didn't you? Plus, your little ghost hunting escapade with her gave her the ability to resist the bell which had kept her in control for so long. No wonder her parents were forced to take more drastic measures. In fact... Come to think of it... This is kind of all YOUR fault, Pine Tree!" Billciphica shook their head " If it hadn't been for your interfering, the Northwests would still have their perfect little obedient daughter, and they wouldn't have had to summon me..."

"What do you mean, SUMMON you?!" Dipper was starting to feel more and more nauseous, and this time it wasn't because of any posh food.

"Well, it's not just Five Pointed Star that knows how to get my attention" said Billciphica, smiling evilly "Most of the other bad guys do. Anyhow, when I arrived, me and Mr Northwest had a bit of a chat, and we came to a deal. I take over his daughter for as long as it takes for their reputation to be restored, and in return..." Billciphica covered their mouth and sniggered "Oh, THAT bit isn't important. Don't worry about THAT now."

"Anyway, exposition OVER, Pine Tree. I've come today to make YOU a deal you can't refuse. Much as I like the Northwests, and this body I'm in at the moment feels comfortable, spacious and full of places I can stick pointy things, I'd be willing to give her up... For a small price." Billciphica rubbed their hands.

"ANYTHING! PLEASE! JUST NAME IT!" Dipper knew, from experience, that any 'deal' with Bill always carried with it more string than a yarn factory full of kittens. At this point however, he was SO desperate, he was willing to do anything to get his girlfriend back.

Billciphica let out an evil leer "I KNEW you'd see sense, Pine Tree. I always said... Out of you and Shooting Star, you were the smart one. If only you hadn't let her separate us. We could have ruled the world toge..."

"JUST TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT!" Dipper was absolutely frantic now.

"Okay, okay Pine Tree. Relax. Here's what I'll require for the safe return of One Rich Girlfriend: All three journals. Signed, sealed, delivered. And yes... I do know you found the other two... Remember, I'm ALWAYS watching. And another thing I'm sure of: You take them EVERYWHERE with you. I've even seen you reading them, while you've been sitting on that strange seat with the hole, doing your..."

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Dipper would have been mortified at any other time by the thought of a supernatural entity spying on him in the bathroom... But, right now, he had more important things on his mind. Namely, the fact that he didn't have the journals on him.

He could have kicked himself. The ONE time... The ONE time he went anywhere without them, was when he perhaps needed them the most.

He should have said "No" when Pacifica told him not to bring his 'geeky books' with him on their trip because she wanted to 'talk' to him for a change, without the distraction.

But now, it was too late.

He just hoped the heiress wouldn't have to pay for his mistake.

"Er, Billc... Paci... Whatever... I'm afraid I've got some bad news..." Dipper started his sentence, but he could feel his throat drying up even as he was speaking.

Billciphica, so very sure that they had Dipper over a barrel, suddenly stopped their celebrations. "WHAT?!"

"I'm afraid... I don't actually... Have the journals on me... I left them back at the shack..." That last part from Dipper barely came out as more than a squeak.

Almost instantaneously, Billciphica growled like an angry lion... And burst into an intense purple flame (It didn't seem to be burning anything nearby, though. And Pacifica's body remained thankfully untouched).

"YOU EXPECT ME TO BELIEVE THAT, PINE TREE?! I'VE WATCHED YOU NEARLY EVERY SINGLE DAY FOR THE LAST FEW WEEKS... AND YOU HAVEN'T LEFT THEM ALONE... NOT FOR ONE SECOND! YOU EVEN CUDDLE THEM IN YOUR SLEEP! YOU'VE GOT THEM STASHED HERE SOMEWHERE... I CAN FEEL IT! ONE LAST CHANCE TO HAND THEM OVER... OR I REALLY START TO GET NASTY!" Billciphica went to grab the handle of the fork. He totally meant it.

"AGGHH! "Dipper had truly hit panic mode, and was sweating buckets. "BILL... I PROMISE I'M NOT LYING TO YOU... JUST COME BACK WITH ME TO THE SHACK, AND I'LL..."

"NO!" Billciphica immediately put the dampeners on that suggestion "I KNOW YOU'RE GOT SOME CLEVER LITTLE SCHEME COOKED UP THERE WITH SHOOTING STAR TO GET ME OUT OF LLAMA! I WON'T FALL FOR YOUR CUNNING TRICKS AGAIN! SO, GIVE THEM TO ME NOW... OR I'LL BE FORCED TO DO SOMETHING I WON'T REGRET, BUT YOU ALMOST CERTAINLY WILL!" Billciphica's flame continued to burn like an inferno, but still with no warmth.

Dipper was almost beside himself with hysteria. "I SWEAR BILL, I'M NOT LYING... HONEST TO GOD... IF I COULD GIVE THEM TO YOU NOW, I WOULD. PLEASE..." He was practically on his hands and knees, begging Bill to let her go.

Almost as soon as it started, the flame extinguished itself... Leaving behind a very disappointed looking Billciphica. "Tut, tut, Pine Tree... And I had such high hopes for you" said Billciphica in a notably softer voice "I thought you were one of the more reasonable ones. Oh well, never mind. I'll find some other way of getting my hands on those journals. I'll be taking my leave now... Tell Northwest Senior I'm sorry I couldn't fulfill our deal... And such a shame... He had such a pretty daughter too..."

Dipper's initial delight at most of that announcement fizzled out with that last sentence. "What?!"

"Oh and one last thing before I go... Your 'God' means NOTHING to me!" Having said that Billciphica lurched forward... And jumped off the top of the cliff. Bill released the girl as soon as she started dropping, and, as her cries echoed down the canyon, he faded back into the dreamscape.

"PACIFICA" screamed Dipper. "NNOOOO!"


	2. Chapter 2

Triangles.

Dancing triangles.

Thousands of them.

Rotating around her vision, as if she was looking through a kaleidoscope.

The ringing of a bell. Tingly tingly.

Then, voices. So many unique ones... Male, female... All merging together to make them almost inaudible.

Suddenly, the triangles all flew together to create a giant shape.

A face appeared on it.

A eye.

A top hat.

A bow tie.

She'd seen this creature before. She just couldn't put a name to the ugly visage, though.

Suddenly, the 'thing' flew right into her line of vision. She could see nothing but yellow and black.

The single eye seemed to be scrutinizing her. Looking her up, and down, like she was a prize exhibit at a zoo.

One of the demonic triangle's spindly arms shot out, and pointed straight at her. The eye closed, as an uncontrollable spasm rocked it's three sided body.

And then, came the laughter.

The noise sounded like all the voices she'd heard before. Only this time they didn't sound different. All of them were mocking her. Sneering at her. Ridiculing her... As one.

It was practically unbearable.

Especially when combined with the peal of the bell.

The 'thing' in front of her was still taking up her entire viewpoint. It was spinning in mid-air now... And, as the volume of the laughter increased from a mouth that wasn't there, the more it seemed to animate itself.

It was gaining pleasure from her pain.

And, as the streams of giggles, chuckles, snickers and guffaws joined the tingle of the bell to become the soundtrack to her very existence, and the jeering triangle seemed to form part of her very soul, she felt herself collapse.

She put her hands over her ears.

It didn't shut out the horrible noise.

She put her hands over her eyes.

The figure was still there, rotating faster than ever before.

"Stop it." She whispered, on the verge of dispair.

The torture still carried on.

If anything, it was getting worse.

Then, she realised something.

What did all this remind her of?

Think, Pacifica.

Hmm...

It was hard to concentrate with everything going on around her...

And the fact she was on the verge of a nervous breakdown...

But she was able to stir some memories from her not-too-distant past.

Of course.

The belittling.

The taunting.

Being made to feel as if you were an inch tall.

It was straight out bullying.

Exactly what SHE used to do to people.

Before... him.

What was his name again?

She really couldn't remember.

Instead, she started recieving flashbacks.

All the times she'd harassed someone for wearing last years fashion.

All the times she'd picked on someone for being slightly different

All the times she'd stepped on someone for just 'being in her way'

None of them were particularly pleasant.

But they kept coming.

Increasing both in volume, and in severity.

They reminded her...

They reminded her how truly worthless she really was.

And with the laughter and ringing sticking like pins in her ears, following her wherever she tried to run...

And the omnipresent triangle still there, spinning at light speed, forming her entire world...

She felt like...

She felt like she wanted to die.

))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

But, wait...

Whatever she'd ever done to anyone...

It was never as bad as THIS.

She knew she'd done wrong in her life...

But this...

This was a whole new level of awful.

She didn't deserve this.

And for the first time since these horrible visions started...

She looked up... And stared that demon right in his one eye.

"Go away" she said.

The triangle seemed to slow down for a second, and there was a break in the cacophony of voices and tingling.

Bliss, perfect bliss.

But only for a second.

It wasn't too long before the creature resumed it's rapid spinning cycle, and the noise returned with a vengeance, more obnoxious and grating than ever before.

Pacifica had had enough.

"GO AWAY" she yelled, once more with feeling.

On a flash of inspiration, she removed one of her diamond earrings, and threw it right into the single eye of the figure who'd been oppressing her.

It connected with a satisfying CLANG!

All of a sudden, the creature disintigrated... Back into the thousands of smaller triangles that she'd seen at the start of this nightmare.

"Oh no, not again" she put her head in her hands.

But, something WAS different.

They were flying away now... And with them, that horrible, horrible sound.

And as they left... Everything...

Everything was white...

And serene...

That is..

Except for ONE evil chuckle.

On a constant loop.

That she couldn't stop, no matter how hard she tried.

Oh, well.

It was a marked improvement on before.

She could live with it...

Live...?

"PLEASE LIVE!"

She heard someone calling.

Who was it?

She had no idea.

But she had a notion she was about to find out.

As she felt herself being sucked out...

Out of her world of white...

To another place...

Away, away...

But that laugh was still there...

Repeating like a mantra in her head...

And it wasn't going to be going away anytime soon...

Oh, no.


	3. Chapter 3

BEEP...BEEP...BEEP...BEEP...BEEP...BEEP...BEEP.

That was the first sound Pacifica heard, as she made her way back to the land of the living.

She at first wasn't sure she WAS awake, going by the fact she was surrounded by perpetual darkness.

But, the fact her whole body was in absolute agony, persuaded her otherwise.

"OH, SWEETHEART, YOU'RE AWAKE!" That voice...

"Good to have you back, Pacifica." A male speaking this time... More measured in tone.

Her mind was slowly emerging from the fog... But even as she recognised those voices, she couldn't believe...

"WE WERE SO WORRIED!" Closer now. The female who just spoke this time was right by her side. It was... Her mother.

"Yes, indeed." That unmistakable posh accent... It was... Her father.

But they didn't sound anything like themselves.

Her mother had never one for emotional outbursts... She was too entrenched in her beauty and make-up routines.

Her father had never sounded that polite and genial (at least to her). He was usually shouting at her for getting second place, or berating her for turning up five minutes late to a piano lesson.

Had she... Perhaps been kidnapped by ZOMBIES?!

She tried to move... But, despite lying down on something comfortable and soft, she was totally constrained.

"No dear... just stay where you are. You need rest... You've been through a tough ordeal." She felt her mother, now. She was being given a hug around the facial region...Although, it was so swathed in material, it was hard to tell.

"Yes, that's right... They told me, all the doctors did. That girl will never make it... She's a lost cause... You might as well start arranging her funeral..." Pacifica listened on with horror, as her father spoke so casually about her own demise.

"But I wasn't haven't any of THAT, oh no. She's got the old Northwest spirit, I told them. So I got together some of the best medical minds money could buy, and lo and behold, here you are, alive and kicking." Her father took a sip of something.

Pacifica tried to talk. Her throat felt as dry as a desert, and only one thing came into her head... "B...bill?!"

She heard her father put something down (his drink?) as he sauntered over to her. "Oh, don't worry about him anymore. He's long gone... And we won't be requiring his services again. He couldn't even keep his side of the bargain... That treacherous triangle..."

There was no hint of shame in what he did. Of course there wasn't. After all... NOTHING was more important than preserving the family name. Everyone was expendable... Even Preston's own daughter.

"Besides, we don't need him now. " Her father continued "Isn't it funny how things have a way of working out? Here we were, ready to ground you for an eternity when we got a call from our chauffer a month ago..."

"A... MONTH?! " Pacifica rasped in her croaky voice.

"Don't interrupt your father, dear." Her mother gently chastised her.

"I'll overlook it this once, Priscilla" he told his wife. "Anyway, as I was saying, he informed us that you were hanging out with that Pines boy, against our express wishes. As you can imagine, I was beside myself with rage. And that's when I summoned Bill. He was SUPPOSED to bring you straight home after possession, so we could start afresh. And then, when we thought you'd returned to your senses, you could have your body back".

He paused for a minute in thought, before adding:

"But, in light of the new circumstances, none of that will be necessary now."

"New... Circumstances?" Pacifia tried to communicate again.

"Here, darling... drink this ." Her mother somehow found a gap in the stuff covering her face (which she now figured out was bandages) to deliver a cool glass of water to her mouth. Man, that felt good.

"When the daughter of the richest, most powerful in Gravity Falls gets seriously injured, EVERYONE wants to know about it." Preston said rather smugly "and not just the local rags. We had NBC, ABC here... Even FOX. " He said the last word as if pronouncing the name of a revered monarch.

"Basically, the upshot of it is, EVERYONE loves us again. We've had sympathy cards, and good wishes from the President, the Queen of England, the Dalai Lama... The list goes on. We've been on the front cover of almost every international paper you can think of. And all... Just for falling off a cliff. Who'd have thought it? If I'd known it was THAT easy I'd have pushed you off YEARS ago, Priscilla! " Pacifica's father sniggered, as if he'd just told a Knock Knock joke.

"Oh, Preston!" Her mother simpered, as Pacifica's mouth begin to fill with bile. If it WAS possible for her to hurt more than she did now... She'd crossed that line.

"Regardless, the fact is that we're now more popular then ever before. We're household names in countries I didn't even think had television sets! And we have YOU to thank for it, Pacifica. Your debts are paid. We'll continue to get you the best medical help that we can afford, and as soon as you come out, we'll arrange a press conference so everyone will know how brave the Northwests are." Preston schemed openly.

Suddenly,Pacifica felt a third presence, by what she now knew was her bedside. "Oops, here comes a doctor. I think we need to leave now, Priscilla. Don't worry, Pacifica. We'll be back first thing in the morning. We might bring a reporter with us. If you feel up to it, please try and say a few words. Have a good rest."

He took a few steps to the door, being he stopped as if remembering something. "And, don't worry about seeing that Pines boy ever again. He wanted to stay and see you get better, along with that weird sister of his. But I convinced their parents their education was more important, and that you were in good hands, so they're back home now. And just in case any undesirables do try to poke their nose into your private room, we've got our own security on watch twenty four hours a day. See you soon, Pacifica."

She heard her father take his leave, while her mother gave her a little kiss on her bandage encrusted cheek, before following him out.

"Hello, how are we doing today?" That was the sound of the new person. "My name is Doctor Smith, and I'm hear to see how you're doing today. Please lie back and relax, while I check you over".

Pacifica fumed. It was not like she COULD even move a muscle, but whatever.

At that moment, she felt whatever was covering her face being unwrapped and lifted off, before a blinding light shone right in her face causing her to blink like mad.

Well, ONE of her eyes, anyway. The other one...

"Left eye seems to be fine... Right eye... Well, let's just see how we go, shall we? Facial scarring is healing nicely... Nose is beginning to get back into joint... Fractured jaw is recovering well... Minus the missing teeth..." As the doctor continued his examination, Pacifica's head felt lighter. And lighter.

And not in a good way.

The medical practitioner carried on, ignoring his obviously distressed patient. He lifted up her blanket, and continued to make notes. " Broken neck...Pretty severe, but doing well...Two broken arms... on schedule to be fixed... Cracked ribs... Should be fine in a few weeks or so... Broken leg... Doing alright, considering what happened to the other one..."

What happened to the other... What did he mea...

Pacifica got her answer as the final part of the blanket was pulled away. There, she strained her neck, as painful as it was, to make out what was underneath.

She could see ONE leg, covered in plaster. But, her right one...

Her right one...

Simply wasn't there.

She could FEEL it...

But it wasn't there.

It was at this point...

She completely lost it.

Screaming.

Crying.

"WHAT'S HAPPENED TO ME?!"

The doctor looked up from his notebook.

He'd been expecting this.

Time to revert to protocol.

He pressed a button.

An alarm went off.

A few seconds later, in came a female carrying something.

It was small, and sharp, and filled with liquid.

Doctor Smith pointed calmly at his now having-a-fit patient, and simply said...

NURSE! THE SCREENS!


	4. Chapter 4

The next few months passed like a blur for poor Pacifica Northwest.

That was fine with her. It was much better than accepting reality.

She said exactly what she was told to to the Press. That she was glad of the support of everyone. That her parents had kept her strong. That, despite her debilitating condition, she still had dreams for the future.

All lies, of course.

She discovered more about her accident. Apparently, she'd tumbled down a steep crevice, colliding with small rocks on the way down. The only reason she survived was because she'd fallen directly into a dense bush.

It was debatable whether this was good fortune or not. Right now, Pacifica was inclined to think the opposite.

She was constantly hooked up to morphine, aor simply remaining conscious would have been unbearable. The many gifts she had recieved during her recuperation had gone untouched, unwanted.

The hospital staff had thrown out so many mouldy fruit baskets, they must have filled the entire skip.

Since her arrival, she'd looked in a mirror once. That was enough for her to have another visit with Ms Syringe, as the lady with the sleep inducing needle was now known. She was becoming a frequent guest, as Pacifica lost it at least once a day...

Before capitulating to her drug induced stupor, she remembered it all.

The huge scar, running from one side of her face to the other.

The hairless head, which had been shaved and cut open so they could relieve pressure on her brain.

And her bad eye, in which she had permanently lost peripheral vision, half closed and swollen.

It wasn't a pleasant sight, put it that way.

As for her other injuries, she was told she'd make a complete recovery from her broken ribs and arms. Her left leg was fractured pretty badly, but would be usable again in time.

As for her missing limb...

She didn't even want to think about it.

She still FELT like it was there.

Even though it wasn't.

'Phantom limb' the doctors called it.

Apparently, it was a medical condition.

It was one that Pacifica was incredibly thankful for.

She wasn't able to cope with reality.

Not yet.

So when her personal physician started banging on about 'artificial legs' and 'life in a wheelchair' she tuned out.

LA LA LA

NOT LISTENING.

A physhiatrist was hired to help her cope with the trauma.

She wasn't interested in his mealy mouthed words about 'adjustment'.

She just wanted to go back to that day on the lake.

Alone.

With Dipper.

If only she had stayed close to him.

He could have protected her.

But it was too late.

And now...

Now she was a shell of who she used to be.

And the worst part of it was...

She was more her parents puppet than ever before.

They were wringing out every bit of public sympathy from this 'tragedy' as they could.

It was the biggest public mourning since the death of Princess Diana.

A young girl, with her whole future ahead of her...

Has had her life altered forever, by a cruel twist of fate...

Please feel sorry for us...

Love us...

Give us your column inches...

She had to hand it to her father...

He was playing them like a master conductor...

As soon as she was released from her ward...

She was due to get several meaningless awards...

'Child Of Courage'.

'Inspiration To The Nation'.

'A Hero For Modern Times'.

What did those titles even mean?

Nothing, that's what.

And while the people in the audience would give her a standing ovation.

And wipe their tears away with the tissues that were genorously provided by the organisers.

Feeling good about themselves, that they were there to honour a cripple.

It was all meaningless crap.

THEY didn't have to look at a grotesque reflection every morning.

THEY didn't have to fed and changed, like a helpless baby.

THEY didn't have to fear looking down, lest they see their missing...

Stop it, Pacifica.

You don't want to be reduced to a blubbering wreck again.

And we've seen MORE than enough of Ms Needle of late, thank you very much.

The one silver lining, in all this misery.

Was the letters she got from Dipper and Mabel.

She was shocked, at first, when her parents allowed them to come through.

After all, they were NORTHWESTS, and the two of them were mere peasants.

But, after thinking about it for a while...

She came to the conclusion that it didn't really matter to them.

After all, it's not like it was a face-to-face meeting.

And they needed SOMETHING to keep their cash cow's spirits up.

She could think of it as a 'reward' for helping restore the family's reputation.

Yeah, thanks Mom and Dad.

REALLY worth losing a leg over.

The letters themselves were as you'd expect.

That they hoped she was feeling better.

That they wished they could be there.

That Dipper had not stopped beating himself up since it happened.

That Mabel wanted to sign her cast with smiley faces.

But such simple sentiments kept her going on those long, awful nights.

She wished she could write back.

With her hands out of commision, though.

And unwilling to reveal her private thoughts to a third party to type them out.

She would have to wait.

She was getting stronger.

She could feel it.

Keep waiting for me, Dipper.

We'll be together.

I don't care WHAT my parents say.

And, yet...

In the evening...

During those few occasions she was able to get a wink of sleep...

The laughter returned.

A sinister giggling in her head.

It simply wouldn't go away.

She couldn't help but feel...

Something was approaching on the horizon.

Something... Nasty.


End file.
